Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s political fate is currently being decided by the state Senate after the impeachment trial ended on Friday without a public vote on the 16 articles of impeachment. The Senate began deliberating on Friday and will continue on Saturday if necessary. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has stated that he does not know how long the jury will deliberate.
Both the House impeachment managers and Paxton’s defense attorneys provided their closing arguments on Friday. Paxton’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, described the case against Paxton as a “joke” and suggested that it was motivated by internal fractures within the Republican Party.
To remove Paxton from office, at least 21 out of the 30 eligible senators must find him guilty of at least one article of impeachment. Most of the articles stem from allegations that Paxton abused his office to benefit a friend and donor, Nate Paul.
The GOP-led House’s decision to impeach Paxton came after his request for $3.3 million in state funds to settle a lawsuit with whistleblowers who claimed they were improperly fired after reporting his alleged wrongdoing. Paxton has been under the cloud of scandal throughout his tenure and was indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015.
If Paxton is convicted, he will be permanently removed from office, and the state Senate will hold a separate vote on whether to bar him from seeking office again.
Paxton is known for his hardline conservative stance and his close alliance with former President Donald Trump. His impeachment has been compared to the criminal charges facing Trump.
The trial has been characterized by intense political divisions, including tensions within the Republican Party. Buzbee compared the impeachment to Paxton’s defeat of George P. Bush, a member of the Bush family, in the 2022 attorney general primary, declaring that “the Bush era in Texas ends today.”
The verdict of the impeachment trial is eagerly awaited, and reporters and members of the public will be given notice when the senators reach a decision.
This article will be updated with any new developments.